Jambs gilberds



(No Model.)

J. GILBERDS.

FRUIT, JAR COVER.

Patented Oct 13, 1885.

INVENTOR WITNESSES N4 PETERS PhcIo-Lhhomvbcn Washingwm D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GILBERDS, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK.

FRUIT-JAR COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 328,115, dated October13, 1885.

Application filed June 23, 1885. Serial No. 169,562. (No model.)

I 0 all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES GILBERDS, of Jamestown, in the county ofChautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Covers for Fruit- Jars; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in covers for that class offruit-jars which are sealed by a spring-wire stirrup or yoke arranged toencircle the jar or be secured to the sides or neck of the jar andarranged to swing over the cover, the object of the invention be ing toimprove the construction of the covers and thereby simplifying theoperation of canping and insure a more perfect sealing of the ars.

With these objects in view my invention consists in a fruit-jar coverhaving a beveled bearing-surface for the stirrup or yoke, the saidbeveled surface being provided with two or more steps.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of afruit-jar embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical sectionof the same; and Fig. 3 is a view of a modified construction, showingthe stirrup secured to the bodyof the jar.

A represents the fruit-jar, of any desired form and construction, andprovided with a cover, B, the latter being securely held in place by aspring stirrup or yoke, C, of any suitable form. The cover Bis providedwith a peripheral depending rim, a, adapted to encircle the neck of thejar and rest on a rubber gasket, and with a beveled face orbearingsurface, D, rising gradually from its periphery to a pointslightly beyond its center, and terminating in a stop or abutment, E,which latter limits the movement of the stirrup when the latter is movedto a position to lock the cover to the The inclined bearing-surface D isprovided at a point alongside of the abutment E with a stop or step, b,located over or approximately over the center of the jar. This step, inwhich the upper section of the stirrup or yoke rests when the cover isin a locked position, can be perfectly flat or slightly grooved, asfound convenient in practice. This beveled surface of the cover is alsoprovided with one or more stops or steps, F, either flat or grooved, andlocated between the periphery of the cover and the stop or step b, andparallel wlth said stop or step b. This step F is adapted to receive theupper section or cross-bar of the stirrup or yoke, as will behereinafter described. This step or steps F, located between the step band the periphery of the cover, enables the cover to be engaged by thestirrup or yoke and secured to the jar during the operation of canning,and yet not so tightly but that the air and gases generated within thejar during the cooking process may be expolled by the heat to which itis sub ected.

To more fully explain the results obta ned by the use of my improvedcover, I w1ll briefly describe the operation of canning as conductedwith a jar provided with such cover. The fruit is first heated and putinto the jar, which is then filled up with hot sirup. The cover 1s nowplaced in position upon thc jar and seoured in place by the stirrup oryoke, the upper section or crossbar of which is engaged with the step F,located, as before described, between the step b andthe periphery of thecover. When the parts are in this positlon, the full power of the springstirrup or yoke is not exerted on the cover, and as the pressure is toone side of the center of the cover the other side of the cover, or thatis the side farthest away from the upper cross-bar of stirrup or yoke,is free to be elevated by the pressure of the air and gases within thejar. After the cover is put on in this manner the jar is subjected to asteam-bath, which cooks the fruit and expels the air and gases. The aris then hermetically sealed by springing the stirrup or yoke up onto thecentral bearing or step, b. This done the jar is submerged inboiling-water until the fruit is cooked.

The stirrups C are preferably made of springwire bent into the requiredshape, with its ends united on a line with its lower cross-bar by aferrule, d.

The npper or lower or both of the cross-bars of the stirrups or yokescan be bowed to render the stirrup or yoke elastic; or the sides of I Qthe stirrup can be bowed and produce the same result. I prefer, however,to bow the sides and top, as shown in the drawings.

Instead of having the stirrups oifyokes encircle the jars, as abovedescribed, the body of the jar can be provided on diametricallyoppositesides with indentations, as shown in Fig. 3, in which the bent ends of aU-shaped stirrup or yoke are sprung.

My improved covers require less handling during the operation Qf canningthan covers of the old form, and, moreover, they are in position to befinally sealed just at the right moment. A more perfect sealing of thejars is effected by expelling the air under the edges of the covers andthen sealing them than by putting them on when the fruit is steaming, asordinarily practiced.

It is evident that slight changes in the construction of the severalparts might be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of myinvention; heneel would have it understood that I do not confine myselfto the exact construction shown and described, but consider myself atliberty to make such changes as fairly fall within the spirit and scopeof my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. Afruit-jar cover having a beveled or in clined bearing-surface on itsupper face, the said bearingsurface being provided with two or moresteps, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. Afruit-jar cover having a beveled or inclined bearing-surface on itsupper face, the

said bearing-surface being provided at its upper end with an abutmentand with two or more steps located between the abutment and theperiphery of the cover, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. A fruit-jar cover having a beveled or inclined bearing-surface, thelatter being provided at its upper end with an abutment and a step andat a point between said step and the lower end of said inclinedbearing-surface with a second step, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

4. A fruit-jar cover having an inclined bearing-surface on its upperface, the said bearingsurface being provided at a point over the centerof the cover with a step and at a point between said step andtheperiphery of the cover with a second step, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination, with ajar and a cover having an inclinedbearing-surface, the latter being provided with an abutment and with twoor more steps located in different planes,

of a spring stirrup or yoke adapted to engage the steps and hold thecover in position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JAMES GILBERDS.

\Vitnesses:

A. \V. Bnionir, S. G. No'r'rixoiun.

